Quick answer: 39 native Idaho plants have a recorded bloom range that includes August.
39 species
- Aspen fleabane Erigeron speciosus · 7 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea · 9 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale · 40 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Garrett's firechalice Zauschneria garrettii · 4 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata · 14 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Littleflower penstemon Penstemon procerus · 11 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 9 states
- Narrowleaf milkweed Asclepias fascicularis · 6 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Richardson's geranium Geranium richardsonii · 2 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum · 10 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa · 15 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- Wyoming Indian paintbrush Castilleja linariifolia · 9 states
August in an Idaho native garden
August is a quieter month in Idaho: 39 of the state's 79 native plants flower in August, compared with 59 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
5 start blooming in August, including Big sagebrush, California fuchsia and Rubber rabbitbrush. 8 finish in August, including Colorado blue columbine, Lewis flax (blue flax) and Littleflower penstemon, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
35 of them grow in full or partial sun and 7 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Aspen fleabane and Black-eyed Susan to trees such as Smooth sumac. For wildlife, 32 support pollinators, 20 provide food or cover for birds and 10 are caterpillar host plants.
24 of the 39 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Common yarrow, Harebell: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Aug